Slack adjuster



Oct. 2 1923. 1,469,572

R. E. A'DREON ET AL SLACK ADJUSTER Filed July 19. 1922 RoBER1;l .ADREoN CHR|STOPHER F? CASS ATTORNEY Paieaied @et 2, i923.

' tisana reir LEY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE AIMERICN BRAKE COMPANY, 0F ST. LOUIS, IISSOURI, A CORPORATION MISSOURI. i f

Vsnack ADJUSTER application mea muy 19,

T0 @ZZ whom-t may concern.' Ee it known that we, Bonn-RT E. ADnnoN Yand Cinzrsrornea P. CASS, citizens of the United States, and residents, respective ly,`or" St. Aiouis7 State ot' Missouri, vand Berkeley, inthe Acounty of Alameda, State of California, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements invr Slack 4justers, ot which the following is a specication. i y L f This invention relatesto automatic slack .adjusters tor taking' up. slack due to the wearv of the brake shoes on the car wheels;

The principal object of our invention is Vto provide a-slack adjuster construction com# prising members constituting a tie rod between Ybrake levers and' including a take-np,-

cylinder, and so constructed `as to vavoid transmission ot' brake-rod tension through the body casting' of the take-up cylinder.'V In the accompanyingr drawing; Fig. Yl is. a plan view, Vwith the cover plate removed, oit a brake lever tie Aroc'lconstruction with a take-up cylinder embodied therein in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 isa. side elevation thereoipartly in section; and Fig.v 3 a section on the line 3+3 ot'iFig. 2.

The construction may comprise a tie rod member l adapted to be connected to one brake lever and having' rigidly secured Y thereto a take-up cylinder 2. Secured to the Vopposite side of the take-up cylinder@ is a sleeve member 3, into which a tie rod mem- Yber e telescopes, the member Lvbeingrconnccted to the other brake lever (not shown). in adjusting screw 5 has screw-threaded engagement with the member 4 and secured to said screw, within the takefup cylinder@ is a ratchet wheel 6. Thev ratchet wheel is adapted to be rotated by the operation of a pawl 'T which' is pivotally connected to a piston 8, said piston being operated by fluid i under pressure suppiied Jfrom the usual bra-ke cylinder, whenV the brake cylinder piston travels beyond a predetermined point in applving' the brakes.

In order to avoidthe transmission of tie Y rod tension through the body casting of the take-up cylinder, the ad'iusting screw is eX- tended into a cavity'm the member l 'and is provided with screw threads for a nutr9` and.` y

set our hands.

1922. serialno. 575,936.

jam nut 10, so that when the tie rod is under tension, the stress is transmitted through the ..1

nosas-T :a simsen, or sr. Louis, nissousi, AND cnas'rornnr. P. cess, or naarmadjusting'screw 5, to the nut 9 and thence to i the member l, without subjecting' thetakeup cylinder to stress;

In' operation of the slack adjuster, when the brakes are'ap'plied and the brake cylin-` 'der pistonmoves beyond a predetermined distance, dueV to wear oit the brake shoes on nthe wheels, fluid Linder pressure is admitted from the'V brake cylinder, throiugh` pipe l1' to piston 8, thus operating. the pawl 7 so that thepawl engages a succeedingtooth of the ratchet wheel 6.

Y Vhenthe brakes are released, iuldfis released from the piston 8,

and the springs l2 andv 13 operate the pawl 7 so as to eft'ectv the Vpartial vrotation of the. ratchet wheel'and the corresiijonding rota'-V A Vtion ofthe screw. AThe member 4 being held against, rotation by connection to the 'brake lever, the screw 5 turns in the'membcr 4 and draws. the same loneitudinall so that :e ya

theftie rod is shortened-,and the. slack corresponding with .thel brake shoe ,wear is taken up.l .Y

AHaving now descrlbedour invent1on,-what we Claim as new and desire to Vsecure, by Let- A.ters Patent, 1s:'.

1.111 a'slack adjusten'the combination Vwith-a tie rod member, a take-up cylinderV Xed thereto, an adjusting screw, and a tie,

rod member having screw-threaded engagement V.with said screw, of means for transmittingV tension from one tie rod member through the adjusting screw to the other tie rod member. y f

2. In a slack adjuster, the combinatnm with atie -rod member, a take-up cylinder fixed thereto,an adjusting screw, and a tie rod member having screw-threaded engage ment with said screw, of a nut associated with said screw and engagingone tierod member for transmitting tension stresses from the other tie'rod -Amember through the adjusting screw `directly toi the first men-A tioned tie"rodrmember. A y

In testimonyV whereof we have hereunt Boissiere.' ADREoN. i

- Voiitisrornnia P. Cass. 

